CC BY
105ECONOMIC SCIENCES
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS IN RUSSIA, SPAIN AND GERMANY
Molchanova V.
Bachelor, student of the International Moscow Academy
Abstract
In this article we will conduct a detailed analysis of the theoretical foundations and applied tools of the functioning of the accounting system in Russia, Spain and Germany.
Keywords: analysis, accounting, methods, tasks, control, provisions, differences.
Everyone knows that accounting does not know national boundaries. Accounting technologies are exported and imported, which explains the similarity of existing accounting systems in different countries.
The relevance of this topic is determined by the fact that the study of accounting systems of foreign countries is necessary to rethink the criteria for the formation of accounting and reporting information in our country.
So, in the process of comparative analysis, we will compare the following provisions of the accounting systems of the Russian Federation and Spain:
• The concepts of "accounting";
• Regulatory systems for accounting and reporting;
• General accounting standards;
• General regulation of accounting;
• Accounting principles;
• Technologies and accounting methodologies;
• Methods and objects of internal (managerial) information quality control;
• Charts of accounts;
• Annual financial statements;
• Accounting professions..
Russia.
In Russia, the concept of "accounting" is an idea of an orderly system of collecting, registering and summarizing information in monetary terms about property, liabilities of an organization and their movement through continuous, continuous and documentary accounting of all business operations.
The system of regulatory regulation of accounting and reporting of the Russian Federation is carried out by a system of regulatory acts having the following hierarchy:
• Federal Law "On Accounting";
• Regulation on the conduct of accounting and financial statements in the Russian Federation;
• Chart of accounts, Accounting Regulations, Regulation on documents and document management in accounting;
• Instructions and guidelines for the application of certain accounting provisions.
Organizations, guided by the legislation of the Russian Federation on accounting, regulatory acts of regulatory bodies of accounting, independently formulate their accounting policies based on their structure, industry and other features of activity.
Russian Accounting Standards (RAS) are governed by Federal Law on Accounting No. 402-FL dated 12/06/11 and are mandatory for use on the territory of the Russian Federation.
The structure of RAS includes the Chart of Accounts and instructions for its use, the Regulation on accounting and reporting, as well as 24 Accounting Regulations (RAS), which regulate various accounting features.
The principles or rules implemented in the Russian accounting system not only generate information, but also facilitate its interpretation. The basic principles that maintain the balance of the accounting system are basic agreements regarding the rules for recognition, measurement and presentation of facts of economic life reflected in the accounting system.
The general methodological guidance of accounting in the Russian Federation is carried out by the Government of the Russian Federation.
The technological cycle of accounting in Russia includes four main phases: recording, classification, summing up and interpretation of financial data, while the accounting methodology, including the order of entries in the accounting registers, is determined by the requirements of the Basic guidelines and recommendations approved by decrees of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation.
The main accounting methods of the Russian Federation are:
• documentation;
• inventory;
• accounts;
• assessment;
• costing;
• double entry;
• balance sheet;
• financial statements.
The objects of internal control are the cycles of the organization - the cycles of supply, production and sale
The chart of accounts was approved by order of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation of October 31, 2000 N 94h (as amended on 08.11.2010). The chart of accounts is used in organizations (except for credit and state (municipal) institutions) of all forms of ownership and legal forms that record double-entry records. The Chart of Accounts is based on synthetic accounts. These accounts are numbered, and their numbering is a prerequisite. The second part of the Chart of
Accounts includes second-order accounts or sub-accounts; in these accounts, numbering is optional. That is, the Chart of Accounts is a chart of registration and grouping of facts of economic activity (assets, liabilities, financial, business transactions, etc.) in accounting. It contains the names and numbers of synthetic accounts (first-order accounts) and sub-accounts (second-order accounts). Moreover, the chart of accounts has a hierarchical structure. The chart of accounts, depending on the economic component, is grouped into sections. The plan contains 71 synthetic accounts, of which 11 accounts are off-balance accounts. All plan accounts are combined into 8 section.
When preparing the annual report, the enterprises are guided by the following accounting principles:
• compliance with the adopted accounting policy during the reporting year based on the procedure established by law; a change in accounting policy compared to the previous year should be set out in an explanatory note to the annual report;
• completeness of reflection for the reporting year of all business
• operations in the reporting year;
• correct attribution of income and expenses to the reporting period;
• differentiation in the report of current production costs and capital investments;
• the identity of the data of analytical accounting of turnover and balances on the accounts of synthetic accounting.
In the accounting reports no erasures and blots are allowed. In case of correction of errors, appropriate reservations are made, which are assured by the signatories of the report, indicating the date of correction.
In Russia, the title of auditor was introduced under Peter I in the army, where the positions of the auditor combined the duties of clerk, secretary and prosecutor. Since 1867, with the introduction of military judicial reform in Russia, the post of army auditor has been abolished. Attempts to create an audit institution with exams in Russia were made in 1889, 1909, 1912, 1928. (Institute of State Accountants-Experts), but they all ended in failure due to the lack of a mechanism for the operation of these financial control bodies and economic prerequisites for audit activities. In 1993, the audit received a legal basis - the Interim Rules for Auditing were introduced (Decree of the President of Russia No. 2263 of December 22, 1993). Since 1998, the development of norms and standards has begun in relation to the conditions of Russia, while abroad, the development of norms and standards dates back to the 70s. Since 1999, separate volumes of the Encyclopedia of General Auditing have begun to appear. In 2001, the Federal Law on Auditing Activities No. 119-®3 dated August 7, 2001 was issued. Individuals licensed to carry out such activities may engage in auditing. The Audit Commission under the President of the Russian Federation determines the procedure for issuing and revoking licenses, organizes work on the development of standards and recommendations in the field of audit, accounting, economic analysis. Licenses are issued for: banking audit; audit of insurance organizations; audit
of exchanges, extrabudgetary funds and investment institutions; general audit. The presence of one license, for example, for a general audit, does not give the right to conduct a banking audit without an appropriate license.
Spain Regulatory system of accounting and reporting in Spain. The accounting regulation has been developing fast, especialy after it joined the European Community in 1986. After that, many areas of accounting underwent significant reform in order to comply with EU directives. Before Spain joined the Community, accounting theory and practice were very different from other states.
In Spain, accounting regulation is administered by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. This ministry has created a special body for the overall coordination of this task - the Institute of Accountants and Auditors (IBA). The IBA periodically publishes the Bulletin in which amendments or additions to the current accounting regulation appear. IBA also provides support for the publication of books and newspapers on accounting.
Business activity in the country is regulated by the norms of the Commercial Code and the law on the activities of companies. In 1989, these documents were adjusted to comply with EEC directives. In the same year, Spanish law established the procedure for the provision of accounting reporting documents for public use. The 1991 Royal Decree introduced the provisions of BES Directive No. 7 on group (consolidated) accounting documents in the country.
Accounting principles, rules for preparing accounting reports, conducting audits, publishing financial statements are established by law and are set out in the General Accounting Plan (GAP).
General Accounting Plan (GAP). For the first time, Spain took the French General Accounting Plan (GAP) as a model in 1973, but the Spanish version was not as mandatory as in the neighboring country. The 1990 GAP is mainly based on the 1982 French plan, which sets out in detail the basics of the accountant's professional activities. It includes the mandatory parts relating to accounting principles, the basis for the valuation of accounting objects and accounting forms of documents; additional parts that provide the wording of the used accounting terms and accounting rules.
Accounting principles. The accounting principles in Spain comply with the provisions of the EES Directive No. 4 to ensure a true and unbiased view of the state of the company and, in addition, include the following professional principles: reasonable care, functionality, documentation, initial cost, accrual, comparability, lack of mutual repayment, invariance of accounting methods, materiality.
Financial statements. The annual financial statements include: balance sheet, profit and loss statement, comments on them and the report of the company management. Full and shortened reporting options are allowed..
The condensed balance sheet contains information grouped in two sections: asset and liability. By analyzing the information of the asset, you can find out about the amounts of fixed and working capital, expenses on prepayment, short-term liabilities, etc. The liabilities of
the reduced balance sheet shows the amount of equity, deferred profit, reserve for unforeseen situations and payments, the amount of long-term liabilities of the organization.
The profit and loss statement informs about profit and1 loss from main activities, ordinary financial transactions, from extraordinary operations and after tax results.
Companies listed on the stock exchange are required to prepare consolidated financial statements every quarter.
Consolidation of financial statements. Consolidated financial statements are obligatory for companies whose performance exceeds two of the three established conditions: total assets, total sales, number of employees.
Accounting professions. The Institute of Accountants and Auditors has the right and responsibility to resolve issues related to their work, for this the Official Register of Accountants is maintained. Most of the auditors are members of one of two professional organizations: "Register of Economic Auditors", "Institute of Sworn Auditors" (ISA).
Audit activity. The main purpose of the audit is to express the opinion of a specialist in an audit report on the implementation of accounting principles, on the actual (in accordance with established standards) financial condition presented in the financial statements, in the report of managers, etc.
An audit is required for companies whose financial statements (total assets, total sales, number of employees) exceed two out of three conditions established in Spain.
Germany
The concept of "accounting." Accounting, in accordance with German business law, is considered as a provider of information for the entrepreneur (about property, liabilities, costs, income, profits, losses) for the owner to fulfill tax obligations and financial management at the macro level; for analysis of creditworthi-ness and use of loans; as evidence in case of litigation.
System of regulation by accounting practices. Accounting is based on the requirements of the Commercial Code, the Value Added Tax Act, the Income Tax Act and the Corporate Tax Act.
The general accounting principles and standards in Germany were approved by the Joint Stock Company Act of 1937. They were adopted in connection with the bankruptcy of a number of enterprises in the 20-30s and the centralization of public administration. In the same year, a unified chart of accounts was adopted. Germany currently does not have a single chart of accounts, but there are several recommended ones.
General accounting regulation is carried out by the Commercial Code, which introduced requirements for accounting and auditing. Since 1986, the Law on Balances has been in force in Germany, on the basis of which the Fundamental Provisions for Accounting and Balance Compilation are adopted. Companies present a
manager's report: balance sheet, profit and loss statement, explanations (large companies) and cash flow statement (joint-stock companies, since 1999), inventory data (may not be published).
Accounting Principles. Accounting principles are the requirements of German law for accounting: completeness, correctness of information content, time delimitations, clarity, visualization, control ability, correct form, chronological order of entries.
Technology and methodology of accounting. The technological cycle of accounting in Germany consists of three phases, and the accounting methodology, including the order of entries in the accounting registers, is determined by the requirements of the "Fundamentals of Correct Accounting".
Methods and objects of internal (managerial) information quality control. The main method is an inventory - a method of comparing the actual and accounting status of assets and liabilities.
Objects of internal control: status of customer obligations, settlements with suppliers, with the organization's personnel.
Chart of accounts. Chart of accounts - is a classified list and nomenclature (typical system) of accounts used in various sectors of the economy and chambers of commerce, it allows the replacement of the names of accounts by their numbers.
The nomenclature of accounts contains 10 sections, divided into 10 groups for each section; groups of nomenclature of accounts are divided into 10 accounts; accounts are divided into 10 sub-accounts.
Annual financial report. The following requirements are imposed on the published annual report: correct delimitation of periods, completeness, reliability, clarity, visualization, correctness of content, possibility of verification, correctness of form.
Two types of reporting are distinguished: commercial and tax.
Accounting professions. In 1932, the professional organization Institute of Qualified Auditors was formed. Since 1961, under the leadership of the Ministry of Economics, an official body has been functioning to monitor the activities of auditors and register all German auditors. Germany also has professional tax consultants.
Thus, a noticeable similarity of all three accounting systems of the presented countries should be noted, however, there are differences in the following details: the German accounting system remains strictly national, strictly regulated by the state, despite the application of IFRS, EU Directives and a single European currency; Spain's accounting system is regulated by Spanish law, the organization of accountants and auditors is regulated by professional organizations, and the Russian Federation's accounting system, although controlled by the state, has some flexibility and can be transformed at the lowest levels of control during the formation of the accounting policy of an enterprise..
